According to the latest studies published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 1.4 billion people in the world currently lack access to any type of electricity service, mainly in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America. From the outset TTA has been committed to reducing this electrification deficit through solutions based on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and the experience gained in this area has earned the company the recognition of the main private developers and multilateral agencies in this sector (European Commission, World Bank Group, UNDP, IEA).
Technological solutions:
Distributed micro-generation
OFF-GRID (autonomous micro-plants)
PROJECTS
ruralelectrification@tta.com.es Capacity Development in Renewable Energy Policy and Mapping in Belize – Basis for rural community electrification – Priority Setting
Belize
EU Energy Partnership PDF on behalf of the MPSEPU | Belize Ministry of Public Service Energy and Public Utilities
2015 - 2016
The overall purpose of the Technical Assistance was to enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities, in order to support it in the development of an effective policy and strategy framework for renewable energy.
TTA was responsible of the Rural Electrification component of the Project which called for providing to MPSEPU with an strategy to establish the basis to prioritize off-grid rural elecrification activities in the country, by quantifying beneficiaries by sub-component strtegy and a budget for these activities; the project included the development of a priority-setting tool for characterization of communities without electricity service from the national network and site visits for evaluation of technical, economical and social needs, as well as, cartography of these communities.
Visits included rural electrification projects executed in the country and success and failure factors were analyzed. Upon completion of the site visits, as well as institutional meetings and with the communities, technological proposals were established to look after the energy demand, and finally, these were linked to Program strategies and a Program budge was determined and agreed upon with MPSEPU. Other Project components were carried out by Meister Consultants Group (MCG) and Worldwatch Institute (WWI).
Design, supply, installation, capacity building and commissioning of PV systems in rural communities of the provinces of Azua, Barahona, Bahoruco and San Juan for the project “Facilidad SurSolar”
Dominican Republic
Fundación Sur Futuro / Comisión Europea
2012 - 2015
The project carried out with local partners involved the supply, supervision and installation of 500 solar home systems (SHS) and 40 micro-businesses with solar fridge/freezer and maintenance and after-sales services. It included and analysis and a review of the original specifications and thus, re-designed to bring improvements to the original specifications and for the maintenance of equipment and components. Besides, improvements were made to facilitate the maintenance and to have a more user-friendly system, as well as to increase energy use efficiency; training of domestic users and community technicians was done.
Rural Development in communities of Esmeraldas FOMDERES II “Pilot project of Rural Electrification and Water Infrastructure in the Community of Las Balsas ”
Ecuador
SEBA | Servicios Energéticos Básicos Autónomos
2011 - 2012
The community of Las Balsas is located in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve (REMACH). This ecological reserve is one of the 33 protected areas in Ecuador and preserves one of the last remaining tropical dry and wetlands of the Ecuadorian coast and worldwide.
In June 2011 and based on lessons learned from the experience acquired by TTA in the project executed other communities of Esmeraldas in « Y del 5º Piso », FOMDERES I (2005-07), the project in Las Balsas community was launched as part of FOMDERES II.
The project involved the implementation of a Solar Hybrid Microgrid (MGS) and various isolated solar photovoltaic micro-plants, a basic infrastructure for potable water and distribution of urban land. The technical solution has allowed the electrification for domestic and productive uses, as it has characteristics similar to those of a conventional line. The institutional and tariff model allows ensuring the long term service sustainability.
The PV power plant is integrated in a new building «La Casa de la Luz », designed as multiuse building for diverse activities in the community. Besides, a training program was followed throughout the project for users, kids and technical operators (for the operation and basic maintenance) and administrative persons involved in tariffs’ collection and control.
Stand-alone electrification of mountain refuges
Spain
Federaciones o entidades de montaña
1989 - 2011
Mountain refuges have steadily been increasing the services they offer and their opening periods, leading to an enormous increase in energy consumption. Factors such as their distance from electricity infrastructure, the complexities of access, and, often, their location inside national parks, limit their options for obtaining a quality electricity service. One of the most universal options for this collective has been electrification through solar PV. Since 1989, TTA has carried out electrification projects on some 17 mountain refuges, mainly in the Pyrenees of Catalonia (9) and Aragon (8).
Definition of a National Rural Electrification Programme
Paraguay
BID | Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
2008
This project involved conducting a baseline study for the preparation of a programme to improve renewable energy-based rural electrification in Paraguay.
TTA provided the following services:
- Field audit.
- Analysis of improvement requirements in the off-grid market, and grid restoration in rural areas.
- Analysis and update of the extent of electricity coverage.
- Analysis of renewable energy-based generation potential.
- Design of pilot projects: photovoltaic solar microgrid, biomass, photovoltaic microgrid, remote measuring and management systems for rural grids.
- Proposal of courses of action, recommendations and planning.
- Presentation to Paraguayan counterparts (Vice-Ministry of Energy, electric utility, Ministry of Finance).
“Pre-appraisal and Appraisal of Selected Rural Electrification Projects”
Peru
Banco Mundial
2005 - 2006
In order to carry out a new rural electrification project managed by the World Bank together with the government of Peru, the country’s distribution companies were invited to present sub-projects to be financed in the first year of the project. In a meeting held in March 2005, the companies presented proposals for investments totalling US$30 million.
The objectives of this consultancy were to pre-appraise and appraise the sub-projects prepared by the distribution companies under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), to ensure that the projects were technically and economically sound and would be financially viable at the tariff and subsidy levels proposed under the project. Pre-appraisal was conducted from the first stage of project preparation. Projects were screened and then guidance was provided to assist distribution companies in preparing adequate documentation for the final appraisal. The objective was to prepare projects with a total value of US$10-15 million. Appraisal tools were also developed that the Ministry could continue to use to assess future projects.
TTA led the consultancy, coordinating the overall work, which involved in summary:
- Pre-appraisal of technical and economic feasibility of the projects presented.
- Appraisal of projects and completion of final evaluation report.
- Proposal of strategic improvements to the legal framework for rural electrification and the application of renewable energies.
- Development of a set of evaluation criteria for project selection and strategies for their application.
- Development of model documentation and guidelines for project preparation.
- Development of software tools and guidelines for project evaluation by the Ministry.
“Solar Energy for the Outer Islands” – Design and implementation of 1,800 solar photovoltaic installations
Kiribati
Energo Group
2001 - 2004
This project involved the electrification of Kiribati’s remote islands and covered the implementation of 1,800 PV installations for domestic use and communal buildings. The Kiribati Solar Energy Company is the owner of the installations and guarantees the energy service for its users, who pay a monthly fee for the service.
The services provided by TTA consisted of giving technical assistance to the Solar Energy Company throughout the rural electrification project, from the initial design phase through to implementation and follow-up.
The technical assistance included: evaluation of the electrical operator, development of management models, tariff structure, operational regulations, market study and study of willingness-to-pay, training at all levels, design and specifications of the installations, design and writing of the rural electrification plan and its annual work programmes, reviewing of specifications for purchase of material, assistance in the evaluation process and supervision of works.
Comprehensive infrastructure project for sustainability on the Island of Floreana in the Galapagos Islands
Ecuador
Unidad ejecutora “Floreana con Luz”
1996 - 2003
On this island in the Galapagos, a pilot project was carried out to supply electricity to the population in the urban centre as well as to dispersed populations, through a decentralized rural electrification model. The electrification of the urban centre was conducted through MSG (multi-user solar hybrid microgrid) technology, which produces enough energy to provide electricity to 55 sites such as houses, a church and offices. The electricity is distributed to the houses, each of which has a meter with power and energy limiters, based on the contracted rate. Four autonomous PV installations, one of which has wind back-up, were constructed in the island’s hills. In 2003 the MSG system was implemented along with a unified tariff scheme, which was integrated into the local electricity service concessionary scheme and the country’s national electricity regulations.
The PV installation has a capacity of 18 kWp, with a 21.6kW inverter. The PV panels are arranged as a pergola roof over tiered seating designed for public activities to take place during the day or night. The roof structure includes canals for collecting rainwater, which is stored in the service building. The building also includes an office and a multipurpose shop, and was designed to serve as a visitor’s centre for the island.
TTA provided the following services:
- Coordination of project implementation.
- Coordination and interinstitutional negotiations: AECID, MEM, PNG, CONELEC, CENACE, Electric utility, Municipal Council, MA.
- Technical and economic feasibility study.
- Socio-economic study of demand and willingness-to-pay.
- Development of the tariff scheme and regulations for the renewable energy-based service.
- Preparation of final design and technical management of construction works.
- Social support, training and dissemination.
Rural electrification project in the village of San Felices
Spain
Ayuntamiento de Agüero
1998
Since the mid-1990’s, Trama TecnoAmbiental has been developing Multi-user Solar Microgrid (MSG) technology in Spain in collaboration with Asociación SEBA. Work has been focused mainly on developing MSG technology both to improve the quality of service and guarantee its sustainability, and to develop a management model tailored to local conditions, to guarantee the long-term operation of the systems.
This PV rural electrification project in the population centre of Agüero in Huesca, Aragón, stands out among the examples of MSG projects carried out in Spain. A 10kVA PV array was integrated into a building designed specifically for this energy-related purpose, which also serves as a social centre for the village. Furthermore, 5 m² of solar thermal collectors were also installed (providing hot water for a public shower and a bar) and an auxiliary 10 kVA diesel generator was also included. The electricity is distributed to the village’s 15 houses and is also used for public lighting. The municipality and the government of Aragón participated in the promotion of the project.
